ScienceDaily: Mind & Brain News
|
- Symptoms of alcohol abuse, not dependence, may better reflect family risk for alcohol use disorders
- Abstinence from alcohol plus physical exercise can help reclaim bone loss due to alcoholism
- Maternal drinking during pregnancy can damage the earliest fetal learning
- Music rules in special creative and experimental 'play zones'
|
Posted: 14 Sep 2012 04:16 PM PDT
Individuals
with alcohol use disorders (AUDs) vary widely in their age of onset of
use, patterns of drinking, and symptom profiles. AUDs are often
'divided' into two categories: alcohol abuse (AA) and alcohol dependence
(AD), with AA perceived as a milder syndrome that might develop into AD
over time. A recent study of the clinical features of AUDs, with a
focus on family liability, has found that –- contrary to expectations –-
AA symptoms better reflect familial risk for AUDs than AD symptoms.
|
|
Posted: 14 Sep 2012 04:16 PM PDT
Alcoholism
is known to cause osteoporosis, or reduced bone mineral density (BMD).
New findings indicate that as little as eight weeks of abstinence can
initiate correction of an imbalance between bone formation and
resorption due to alcohol's toxic effects. Physical activity can also
serve as a protective factor against reduced BMD.
|
|
Posted: 14 Sep 2012 04:16 PM PDT
Habituation
refers to the ability of an organism to stop responding to repeated
stimulation. A new study has examined the impact of maternal drinking on
fetal habituation or learning abilities while still residing in the
mother's womb. Results showed that those fetuses exposed to heavy binge
drinking required significantly more trials to habituate, and also
exhibited a greater variability in test performance.
|
|
Posted: 14 Sep 2012 09:38 AM PDT
Like
reading, learning to sing and make music can be modeled by parents and
teachers. Special areas called music play zones encourage children to
make music.
|
